Strasbourg, France-based CroisiEurope inaugurated three more ships in April: Camargue in Lyon on the Rhone River, Gil Eanes on Portugal’s Douro River and Loire Princesse, with its unusual side-wheel design, on the Loire River.
The Loire, the longest river in France, is also the trickiest in terms of water depth. A prototype designed at STX Saint-Nazaire, the 96-passenger Loire Princesse uses paddlewheel propulsion to achieve a very shallow draft, and a similar design has already been announced for the Elbe River. Loire Princesse will cruise France until November on six- to eight-day trips visiting Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Ancenis, Angers, the chateaux of the Loire Valley, Saumur and Bouchemaine.
The 104-passenger Camargue was designed and decorated in the same spirit as last year’s Lafayette. She will cruise France until November on six- to eight-day sailings out of Lyon, traveling through Macon, Vienne, Arles, Avignon, Viviers and Tournon.
The 132-guest Gil Eanes joins the three other CroisiEurope ships in Portugal: Infante D. Henrique, Fernao De Magalhaes and Vasco Da Gama. Until November, it will cruise from Porto, visiting Regua, Ferradosa and Pinhao, Portugal; and Vega de Terron, Spain.
The company expects to launch four newbuilds in 2016 and 2017, including a vessel on the Mekong River. In Europe, travel planners can keep an eye out for Elbe Princesse on the Elbe River and barges Daniele and Deborah on France’s Canal de Briare and Canal de Garonne.
With nearly 40 years of operating river cruises and an English-speaking staff of 700, CroisiEurope operates 43 vessels on Europe’s most famous rivers, canals and coasts in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany and Belgium as well as in Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Priced for excellent value, fares include unlimited beverages and free Wi-Fi connectivity. Shore excursions are purchased a la carte.
The Details
CroisiEuropewww.croisieuroperivercruises.com
